Stowable Transmission Shifter and Folding Armrest Console Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle center console transmission shifters occupy significant space, limiting the integration of other convenience features due to their fixed position.
Innovation Solution
A stowable transmission shifter and a folding armrest design that allows the shifter to be stored within a receiver in the console base, enabling the armrest to fold over the shifter and provide a deployable work surface by using multiple pivot features and latch mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed transmission shifter is provided on the center console, then the transmission shifter is easily accessible and usable, but it occupies significant space and limits the integration of other convenience features
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission shifter is designed to be movable between a deployed position (protruding from the console for easy access) and a retracted position (stored within the console base). This dynamic positioning allows the shifter to be accessible when needed while minimizing space occupation when not in use, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and space consumption.
2Area of stationary object
If a stowable transmission shifter is implemented, then space on the center console is freed up, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest and transmission shifter are merged into a single integrated assembly. The armrest structure serves dual purposes: as a user comfort feature and as the housing/mechanism for the stowable shifter. This merging eliminates the need for separate complex mechanisms, achieving space savings without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest assembly performs multiple functions: providing user arm support, housing the transmission shifter, and serving as the deployment mechanism for the shifter. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving the space-saving goal.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a folding armrest is added to overlay the transmission shifter, then a work surface is provided, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The folding armrest is integrated with the transmission shifter assembly rather than being a separate component. The armrest structure incorporates the shifter mechanism within its folds, and the latch system serves both to secure the armrest in its folded position and to lock the shifter in its deployed position. This merging approach provides the versatile work surface capability while minimizing the increase in structural complexity through shared components and mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A console assembly includes a base, a transmission shifter and an armrest. The transmission shifter is carried on the base and is displaceable between a plurality of transmission mode defining positions and a storage position wherein the transmission shifter is held within a shifter receiver in the base. The armrest is carried on the base and may be displaceable between a home position and a deployed position wherein a portion of the armrest overlies the transmission shifter in the shifter receiver.